Tara Mueller Season 2010

Honors & Awards

• 2009 LSU Classic All-Tournament Team
• 2008 Second-Team AVCA All-American
• 2008 Second-Team Volleyball Magazine All-American
• 2008 Seattle Regional Most Outstanding Player
• 2008 Seattle Regional All-Tournament Team
• 2008 First-Team AVCA All-Central Region
• 2008 First-Team All-Big 12
• College Volleyball Update National Player of the Week (12/15/08)
• 2008 Paso Robles Marriott All-Tournament Team
• 2008 Big 12 Commissioner's Spring Honor Roll
• 2006-07 U.S. Junior National Team Member

2010: Senior
Mueller played in 31 of the Huskers' 32 matches in 2010, averaging 2.23 kills, 2.90 digs and a team-high 0.28 aces per set • Ranked third in the Big 12 in service aces • Produced five double-double on the year to bring her Husker career total to 20 • Had double-digit digs in 15 matches, including a career-high 17 at Baylor • Was on fire during the month of November as she hit .368 for the month, including over .400 or better percentage in four of her seven matches • Career came to an end in Seattle on Dec. 10 with a 3-1 loss to Washington where she had six kills and 13 digs • Hit .353 during the second round of the NCAA Tournament with seven kills and one error on 17 swings in a sweep of Auburn on Dec. 3 • Helped the Huskers secure their 12th Big 12 title with eight kills and no errors on 20 swings (.400) in a sweep at Texas A&M on Nov. 27 to finish the regular season • Notched a double-double against Baylor on senior night with 12 kills and 11 digs on Nov. 24 • Hit .500 at Texas Tech on Nov. 6 with eight kills and one error on 14 swings, while also adding three aces • Had 10 digs and hit .471 (8-0-17) in the previous match at Kansas on Nov. 3 to help the Huskers hit a .423 as a team • Posted her fourth double-double of the season on Sept. 29 at Oklahoma with 10 kills and 10 digs in a 3-1 win over the Sooners • Set a career high for digs in a match with 17 at Baylor on Sept. 25 • Opened Big 12 play at Iowa State on Sept. 15 with 10 kills and 11 digs • Helped the Huskers beat No. 3 Illinois at the Devaney Center on Sept. 11 with 12 kills and 15 digs in a 3-2 comeback victory • Opened the Ameritas Players Challenge on Sept. 9 against No. 20 Dayton with 13 digs and tied for the match high in kills with 13 to record her first double-double of the season • Recorded three aces in a 3-2 loss to Florida at the Runza/AVCA Showcase on Aug. 29.

2009: Junior
Mueller was a returning AVCA All-American at outside hitter, averaged 2.97 kills, 2.49 digs and 0.38 service aces per set, ranked fifth in the Big 12 in service aces • Had eight double-doubles on the year and topped NU in kills in nine matches this season • Totaled 10 kills in the NCAA Regional final against No. 2 Texas on Dec. 11 • Recorded 12 kills and 11 digs in a sweep at Kansas State on Nov. 25 • Enjoyed one of her best matches of the year at Kansas on Nov. 21 with 10 kills on .474 hitting, nine digs and two service aces • Recorded a double-double against No. 24 Baylor with 12 kills and 10 digs on Nov. 18 • Played well against Missouri on Nov. 4 with 11 kills on .400 hitting, seven digs and an ace • Had a double-double at Texas Tech on Oct. 28 with 11 kills on .360 hitting and 10 digs • Turned in a solid match against Oklahoma on Oct. 24 with nine kills, a career-high four aces and 12 digs  • Picked up her fifth double-double of the year with 10 kills and 11 digs at Missouri on Oct. 17 • Recorded 10 kills on .368 hitting and six digs in a sweep of Kansas State on Oct. 10 • Totaled 13 kills, a season-high four blocks, two aces and eight digs against No. 2 Texas on Sept. 26 • Led Nebraska with a match-high 22 kills at Texas A&M on Sept. 20, the second time this year she has totaled at least 20 kills in a match • Totaled 17 kills and 13 digs and two aces in NU's five-set loss to No. 8 UCLA on Sept. 13 • Hit a season-high .583 with 14 kills and no errors in a sweep of Virginia on Sept. 10 • Averaged 3.62 kills and 2.88 digs per set in two wins at the LSU Tiger Classic to earn a place on the all-tournament team, including a season-high 22 kills and 15 digs in the win at LSU on Sept. 4 • Led NU with 17 kills and added a career-best 16 digs in a win over No. 11 Minnesota on Aug. 29

2008: Sophomore
Mueller emerged as one of the country's top performers in 2008, garnering second-team AVCA All-America laurels • Started 33 matches, averaging 3.51 kills and 2.37 digs per set to earn first-team All-Big 12 conference honors • Ranked sixth in the Big 12 in kills and seventh in points per set (3.94) • Ranked third on the team with seven double-doubles (kills-digs) as she teamed with Jordan Larson to give NU a pair of All-America outside hitters • Tied or led the team in kills 13 times, highlighted by a career-best 24 kills in the regional final at No. 5 Washington • Nearly helped NU knock off No. 1 Penn State with 15 kills and nine digs, as the Huskers rallied from an 0-2 deficit to force a five-set match • Named the Most Outstanding Player of the Seattle Regional, averaging 4.00 kills, 3.25 digs and 0.38 service aces per set in leading the Huskers to the NCAA semifinals • Established career bests in kills (24),  digs (16) and attempts (65) in the regional title match at Washington on Dec. 13 • Averaged 3.00 kills and 2.29 digs per set in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, highlighted by a 15-kill effort against Liberty on Dec. 5 • Turned in a solid performance at Baylor on Nov. 29 with 12 kills, four blocks and eight digs, as the Huskers earned a share of the Big 12 title • Saw her streak of eight straight matches with at least 10 kills end against Texas Tech on Nov. 22, but had eight kills without an error on 14 swings versus the Red Raiders • Had 13 kills and seven digs in a loss at No. 4 Texas on Nov. 19 • Totaled 10 kills and eight digs at Kansas on Nov. 15, as NU swept the Jayhawks • Posted 13 kills and eight digs in a sweep of Missouri on Nov. 12 • Enjoyed one of the most impressive matches of her career in the win over No. 15 Kansas State on Nov. 8, drilling 20 kills on .613 hitting while adding six digs and a pair of blocks • Put together a strong performance at Texas A&M on Nov. 5, finishing with then-career highs in kills (19) and digs (16) while adding a pair of service aces in NU's five-set win • Posted her second straight double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs against Iowa State on Nov. 1 • Picked up her fourth double-double with 13 kills and 12 digs in a loss at Colorado on Oct. 29 • Totaled a match-high 13 kills, while setting then-personal bests in hitting percentage (.478) and blocks (5) in a sweep of Texas A&M on Oct. 22 • Recorded 16 kills on .364 hitting and seven digs in a sweep at Missouri on Oct. 12 • Collected her third double-double with 13 kills and 10 digs vs. Oklahoma on Oct. 8 • Led NU with 15 kills and added eight digs in a sweep of Creighton on Oct. 5 • Reached her season high for kills for the third time with 16 kills and 10 digs at Iowa State on Sept. 27 • Tied for team-high honors with 12 kills and added eight digs and three blocks in a  four-set win over Kansas on Sept. 24 • Collected her first career double-double against No. 3 Texas on Sept. 20, finishing with 14 kills and 11 digs • Led NU with 12 kills on .370 hitting in a sweep of New Mexico on Sept. 13 • Selected to the Cal Poly All-Tournament team after averaging 3.67 kills, 1.67 digs and 0.78 blocks per set in three sweeps • Matched her then-career best with 15 kills in a sweep of Tulane on Sept. 6 • Hit .440 with 13 kills and added seven digs and three blocks in a sweep at No. 14 Cal Poly on Sept. 5 • Opened the 2008 campaign with a then-career-best 15 kills in a sweep of No. 2 Stanford on Aug. 29.

2007: Freshman
Mueller was one of three freshmen who played a significant role in helping the Huskers to a 30-2 record and an NCAA regional final appearance • Trained at outside hitter and saw time at libero during the year, appearing in 13 matches • Averaged 1.27 kills on .211 hitting, 0.95 digs and 0.36 blocks per set in backing up two-time All-Americans Christina Houghtelling and Jordan Larson • Played extensively in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, as Houghtelling battled back spasms • Turned in her finest performance as a Husker in a second-round win over Wichita State, totaling a season-high nine kills on .316 hitting and her first career solo block in a sweep of the Shockers • Started at outside hitter against South Dakota State in NU's NCAA opener, turning in a then-career high five kills and two blocks in a 3-0 Husker sweep • Appeared in half of the Huskers' Big 12 matches, averaging 1.20 kills per set on .259 hitting • Came off the bench for the final two kills in a sweep at Missouri on Oct. 17 • Shined in the finale against Baylor on Sept. 29, totaling four kills without an error on eight swings, as NU hit .500 as a team against the Bears • Matched her then-season high with four kills on eight swings and added a pair of digs against Iowa State on Oct. 10 • Showed her versatility, as she started against New Mexico State at libero on Sept. 8, finishing with eight digs and three assists while helping NU hold the Aggies to .161 hitting • Made her college debut against Creighton on Aug. 31, totaling a pair of kills and three blocks in the final two sets from the outside hitter spot.

High School
Mueller was considered one of the best high school volleyball players to ever come out of Arizona, playing for Desert Mountain High School and Coach Amanda Burbridge • Led Desert Mountain to Class 5A-II back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006 and four state tournament appearances during her career • Ranked No. 12 nationally on Prepvolleyball.com's Senior Aces list • Awarded second-team Mizuno/Volleyball Magazine All-America honors following her junior and senior seasons and was a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selection in 2007 • Totaled 304 kills, 218 digs, 46 blocks and 45 aces in just 22 matches as a senior after missing the first half of her senior year with a broken hand suffered while training with the U.S. Junior National Team • Totaled 13 double-doubles, including a 23-kill, 18-dig effort in the state title victory over Ironwood • Finished with 62 kills, 55 digs and eight aces in the state tournament • Selected as the Arizona Player of the Year in both 2005 and 2006 by the Scottsdale East Valley Tribune • Garnered first-team All-Arizona accolades from both the East Valley Tribune and Arizona Republic in each of her final three years • Named Gatorade Player of the Year in 2005 after leading Desert Mountain to its first state title • Selected to the 2006 U.S. Junior National Team, but was forced to miss the NORCECA Championships because of an injury • Participated in the USA Volleyball High Performance Program in 2003 under former NU assistant Lee Maes • Played club volleyball for Coach Joe Hesse and the Club Red program, leading the club to back-to-back regional titles in 2005 and 2006 • Looked at UCLA, Long Beach State, Arizona, Arizona State and Loyola Marymount before committing to Nebraska in February of 2006 • Comes from an athletic background, as her father played football at Wyoming, while her aunt (Linda Mueller Jensen) played volleyball at Oklahoma.